Refrigerator-car



H- R. ROSS.

REFRIGERATOR CAR.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 22, 1919.

1,352,532 Patnted Sept. 14, 1920 )-*v- I L\] V g I: V 2 ll-1 a 2 m-zm-a-t I i 4 m t L -E E L INVENTDR:

HENRYRUSSELL-ROSS w 2w? ATTYs UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY RUSSELL ROSS, OF ST. JOHN, NEW BRUNSWICK, CANADA.

REFRIGERATOR-CAR.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY R. Ross, a subject of the Dominion of Canada, residing at St. John, New Brunswick, in the Do- .minion of Canada, have invented new and useful Improvements in Refrigerator-Cars, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a refrigerator car'constituting a train unit, and adapted to be cooled by a refrigerating fluid forced into the car from another train unit organized as a refrigerating plant, comprising a car and means therein for cooling the refrigerating fluid, supplying the cooled fluid to the refrigerator car and receiving the spent fluid for re-cooling.

One object of the invention is to provide an improved arrangement of flow and return conduits and of heat-absorbing, fluidcirculating means for the refrigerating fluid, permitting the flow and return conduits to be conveniently connected at either end, or at both ends, with and disconnected from like conduits on another train unit or units, and providing an efficient arrangement of the circulating means.

Another object of the invention is to provide means associated with the fluid-circulating means and operable by the latter for storing a body of congealed, or partially congealed liquid in position to continue the refrigeration for a considerable time after the car has been disconnected from the refrigerating plant, as is often necessary in railway practice.

To these and other related ends the invention consists in the improvements hereinafter described and claimed.

Of the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification,

Figure 1 is a longitudinal section, showing parts of two similar refrigerator cars, each embodying the invention, a portion of the refrigerating plant being shown in elevation.

.Fig. 2 is a section 011 line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary perspective view, illustrating portions of the fluid-circulating means, and of the branch flow and return pipe lines hereinafter described.

The same reference characters indicate the same parts in all of the figures.

In the drawings, 12 represents a refrigerator car, which may be of any suitable construction, the walls, floor and roof of the Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 14, 1920.

Application filed December 22, 1919. Serial No. 346,759.

car being preferably provided with heatinsulating packing.

Extending longitudinally of the car and adjacent to the floor thereof, are two longitudinal mains 13 and 14,-, these being preferably located below the floor of the car. EX- tending upwardly from the main 13 is a branch pipe line 15. Extending upwardly from the main 1 1 is a branch pipe line 16, the branch lines 15 and 16 being preferably at one end of the car. The main 13 and its branch 15 constitute a flow conduit, and the main 14 and its branch 16 constitute a return conduit.

Adjacent to the roof of the car I provide fluid circulating means, adapted to receive refrigerating fluid from the branch line 15, to circulate the same from end to end of the upper portion of the car, and to deliver the same, after circulation, to the branch line 16.

I have embodied the fluid-circulating means in a plurality of sinuous circulating conduits 17, both end portions of which are shown by Fig. 3, the other conduits being of similar construction, and each including a series of return bends, one end of the conduit being connected with the branch line 15, and the other with the branch line 16, either by means as indicated by Fig. 3, or otherwise. The arrangement is such that fluid forced into the car through the main 13, passes through the branch line 15, the circulating conduits 17 and the branch line 16 in the directions indicated by the arrows in Fig. 3, so that when the car is connected with another car constituting a refrigerating plant, there is a continuous flow of refrigerating fluid from the refrigerating plant and through the circulating means and back to the refrigerating plant. The members of the fluid-circulating means are supported horizontally by suitable supporting means, as indicated at 19 by Figs. 1 and 2 and extend practically the entire length of the interior of the car, and above the storage space provided for goods.

The sinuous conduits 17 are spaced apart, and the members thereof are spaced from each other, so that a circulation of air is permitted between the conduits and between the members of each conduit.

The flow and return conduits formed by the mains and branch pipe lines above described are provided with shut-off valves 20, of any suitable construction, adapted to permit the separation of the car from another unit or units without objectionable loss of fluid, the handles 21 of said valves preferably projecting through openings formed in the ends of the car, as shown by Fig. 1, so that the valves are operable from the exterior of the car and by an operator between two adjacent cars. The said conduits may be, therefore, shut off without the necessity of opening the car. The mains 13 and 14 may be provided with similar shutoff valves 20% to prevent loss of fluid from the mains when the car is disconnected.

Each of the mains 13 and 14 is provided ElZzOPPOSltG ends with flexible coupling members22, adapted to be coupled to complemental members of corresponding mains carried by another train unit or units, the members 22 being members of a flexible coupling such as is used for conducting air and other fluids between adjacent train units.

To maintain a suitable low temperature on the car for a considerable period, after it has been disconnected from the refrigerating plant, I associate with the fluid-circulating means in the car a congealing tank '23, which contains a body 24 of fluid, such as weak brine, adapted to be congealed by the circulating refrigerating fluid sufliciently to continue refrigeration after the separation of the car from the refrigerating plant. 17 is inclosed in the congealing tank in direct contact with the body of congealable, or partially congealable fluid 24, the other circulating conduits 17 being below the congealing tank and exposed externally within the car. I have here shown three circulating coils 17, one being within, and the other two outside the congealing tank. It is obvious, however, that the number of inclosed and exposed coils 17 may be varied.

Each of the mains 13 and 14 is adapted to constitute a unit of a main extending from end to end of a train of refrigerator cars of the above-described construction.

In another application filed concurrently herewith, I disclose a refrigerating plant constituting a train unit, and adapted to cooperate with a car or cars characterized as above described, said plant being provided with flow and return pine lines adapted to be coupled respectively to the flow main 13 and the return main 14 of one of the refrigerator cars. A portion of the car 12 forming a part of said plant, and the flexible coupling member 22 attached to the flow pipe line of the plant and coupled to the Preferably the circulating conduit member 22 at one end of the main 13, is shown by Fig. 1.

I claim:

1. A refrigerator car constituting a train unit and having two longitudinal mains adjacent to the floor, upright branch pipe lines extending vertically-from said mains at one end of the car, one of said mains and its branch constituting a flow conduit, and the other main and its branch a return conduit, a plurality of substantially horizontal sinuous conduits each composed of return bends and connected at one end with one of said branch lines and at its opposite end with the other branch line, and means for supporting said sinuous conduits in different horizontal planes, and spaced from each other, so that a circulation of air is permitted between said conduits and between the membersof each conduit, the said mains being provided with flexible coupling members adapted to be coupled to complemental coupling members on corresponding mains carried by other train units.

2. A refrigerator car constituting a train unit and having two longitudinal mains ad-, jacent to the floor, branch pipe lines extending upward from said mains at one end of the car, one of said mains and its branch constituting a flow conduit, and the other main and the branch thereof constituting a return conduit, fluid-circulating means adjacent to the roof of the car, and adapted to receive refrigerating fluid from one of said branch lines and to deliver the same, after circulation, to the other branch line, and a congealing tank associated with said circulating means and containing a body of fluid adapted to be congealed by a circulating refrigerating fluid, sufliciently to continue refrigeration after separation of the car from another train unit or units, said flow and return conduits being provided with shut-ofi' valves adapted to permit the separation ofthe car from another unit or units without objectionable loss of fluid, the said mains being provided with flexible coupling members, adapted to be coupled to complemental members on corresponding mains carried by another train unit or units.

3. A refrigerator car substantially as specified by claim 2, the said fluid-circulating means comprising a plurality of circulating conduits, one of which islocated within the-"said congealing tank and another externally exposed within the car.

In testimony whereof I have aflixed my 

